CEBC April 2004
Agenda
Meeting Location - Union South - Check TITU
Meeting Time - 12:30
In Attendance:
Ron Carda (Chair), Marcia Jezwinski, H. Adam Steinberg, Elizabeth Gall,
Bill Steffenhagen and Tom Achtor
CEBC Agenda
I. Approval of the Agenda
Approved
II. Approval of the Minutes for March 5, 2004 Meeting
Moved to May meeting
III. Announcements
UW System Academic Staff Leadership conference at UW-Stout
<http://www.uwstout.edu/faculty/senates/sas/conference.html>
July 29th and 30, 2004
"Get wired and Inspired"
IV. ASEC & ASA Reports
V. ASEC Coverage for May
5/7 Elizabeth Gall
5/14 Marcia Jezwinski
5/28 Bill Steffenhagen
VI. Old Business
A. Updates on compensation and benefits proposals
Board or Regents is looking into parity for classified and unclassified
staff, suggesting a pay raise of 1.35%, instead of 1%, to equal the 25
cent per hour raise and $250 lump sum payment given to classified. Will
also suggest an additional floating holiday for Veteran's day.
Health care costs: Reduce the costs for unclassified to match
classified.
Domestic Partners Benefits: Recommended approval and pay for it form
Compensation reserve.
April 2, 2004 Agenda Item I.2.e.
PARITY PAY PLAN REQUEST
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
BACKGROUND
Board of Regents Resolution 8745 (adopted October 10, 2003) directed
the UW System President to notify the Governor, Legislature, and the
Director of the Office of State Employment Relations (OSER) of the
needs for adjusting compensation and employee benefits for university
senior executives, faculty, and academic staff for the 2003-05
biennium. The needs identified in the resolution included a request
for a "salary increase up to four percent each year to the full extent
of funds available in the compensation reserve" and a request that
full-time faculty, academic staff, university senior executives, and
non-represented graduate assistants be asked to contribute to state
group health insurance premiums "at the same levels" applicable
to
other state employees. In effect, the Board acknowledged the fiscal
climate and asked that the pay plan for university unclassified staff
be on par with pay plans that were going to be adopted for other state
employees. The pay plan recommendations were presented to the OSER
Director as required by law.
Soon after the Board adopted its pay plan recommendations, the
Legislature's Joint Committee on Employment Relations (JCOER) received
from the OSER Director her 2003-05 compensation and benefit adjustment
plan recommendations for UW System senior executives, faculty, and
academic staff. JCOER accepted the OSER Director's recommendations on
October 21, 2003. With JCOER approval, the UW System unclassified pay
plan for 2003-05 was formally established. However, since the pay plan
was approved, the OSER Director has received JCOER approval to provide
additional salary adjustments to classified and certain unclassified
employees and those employees have smaller health insurance premium
contributions than the pay plan allows for university unclassified
staff. In order to achieve a "parity" pay plan for faculty and
academic staff, the Board must request that JCOER approve a modified
pay plan for 2003-05.
REQUESTED ACTION
Approval of Resolution I.2.e.
The resolution directs the UW System President to transmit to the OSER
Director, the Board of Regents recommendations regarding pay plan
modifications to allow the university unclassified faculty and staff to
receive a salary adjustment and benefits pay plan that is more in line
with pay plans that have been and will be established for other state
employees.
DISCUSSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS
The biennial pay plan for faculty, academic staff, non-represented
graduate assistants and university senior executives contains the
following provisions:
o No salary increase in the 2003-04 fiscal year;
o A funded increase of 1.0% in the 2004-05 fiscal year except that no
funded increase is provided for university senior executives;
o The Board is authorized to adjust the academic staff salary range
schedule by up to 1% for the 2004-05 fiscal year;
o No adjustment to the senior executive salary group ranges for vice
presidents and nondoctoral institution provosts during the biennium
(those ranges have not been adjusted since 2001-02);
o In calendar years 2004 and 2005, monthly contributions to state group
health insurance by faculty and academic staff at the rate of $62.50,
$125, or $250 depending on the family plan selected, and $25, $50, or
$100 depending on the single plan selected;
o In calendar years 2004 and 2005, monthly contributions to state group
health insurance by non-represented graduate assistants at the rate of
$31.25, $62.50, or $125 depending on the family plan selected, and
$12.50, $25, or $50 depending on the single plan selected.
In October 2003, the pay plan and health insurance premium
contributions to be made by university faculty and academic staff were
essentially the same as the plan the OSER Director had recommended for
non-represented classified employees and certain unclassified
employees, except the state senior executives and cabinet officials
were eligible for a funded 1% pay plan adjustment in 200405. Two
months later, at the recommendation of the OSER Director, JCOER
approved some represented employee contracts and improvements to the
non-represented employee pay plan. At that point, the university
unclassified employees fell under a pay plan that was no longer on par
with other state employees and appointed officials. The UW System had
hoped that collective bargaining agreements would be completed for all
bargaining units before considering a pay parity plan for faculty and
academic staff. However, we are now nine months into the 2003-05
biennium and eleven of the nineteen contracts are still unresolved. In
order to request a pay parity plan that can be implemented within the
current faculty contract year and in order to process July 1, 2004 pay
plan adjustments, it is necessary to proceed now, and trust that future
collective bargaining agreements will not prompt a second pay plan
modification.
The UW System President asked the Fringe Benefits Advisory Committee
(FBAC) and the Compensation Advisory Committee to review the
differences between the faculty and staff plan and pay plans covering
other state employees. Other state employees (non-represented, certain
unclassified and represented employees who have reached a collective
bargaining agreement for 2003-05) are covered by pay plans that contain
the following:
o Health insurance contribution rates in 2004 for single coverage are
$7.00 per month lower in Tier 1 plans and $3.00 per month lower in Tier
2 plans;
o Health insurance contribution rates in 2004 for family coverage are
$17.50 per month lower in Tier 1 plans and $7.50 per month lower in
Tier 2 plans;
o Health insurance contribution rates in 2005 for Tier 1 plans are $3
per month lower for single coverage and $7.50 per month lower for
family coverage;
o Health insurance contribution rates for represented graduate
assistants at UW-Milwaukee are $3.50 per month lower for single
coverage and $8.75 per month lower for family coverage in Tier 1 plans
and $1.50 per month lower for single coverage and $3.75 per month lower
for family coverage in a Tier 2 plan in 2004;
o Health insurance contribution rates for represented graduate
assistants at UW-Milwaukee are $1.50 per month lower for single
coverage and $3.75 lower for family coverage in a Tier 1 plan in 2005;
o In addition to the 1% general wage increase on July 1, 2004, state
classified employees received a $250 general wage lump sum payment and
a $0.10 per hour base building general wage increase;
o In addition to the 1% general wage increase for state executives and
cabinet officials, a $0.10 per hour base building general wage
increase; and,
o Beginning calendar year 2004, one additional personal holiday in
recognition of Veteran's Day bringing the total of personal holidays to
four and one-half.
The FBAC advised that faculty, academic staff and university senior
executives should be asked to contribute to state group health
insurance at the same levels that are applied to all other state
employees beginning with January 2004 coverage. That advice is
consistent with Regent Resolution 8745. In addition, the FBAC advised
that faculty and academic staff should receive an additional personal
holiday in recognition of Veteran's Day. The FBAC also examined the
need for domestic partner group health insurance benefits which are now
widely offered by many universities and businesses. Information from
OSER notes that funds for domestic partner benefits are not available
from the State at this time. Rather than asking that the UW System
further deplete its base budget by self-funding the domestic partner
benefit, the FBAC reaffirmed its long-standing commitment to securing
domestic partner participation in all fringe benefits and determined
that it would support an extension of group health insurance to
domestic partners when the State provides funding for this benefit.
The Compensation Committee similarly asked the UW System President to
seek the lower group health insurance contributions and provide faculty
and staff with refunds for the higher premiums paid to date. The
Committee also suggested that the UW System President seek to obtain
the $250 lump sum payment and an additional general wage increase
equivalent to the $0.10 per hour. Based on the average salary for UW
System faculty and staff, an equivalent increase in percent terms is
0.35%. Further, the Committee supported a change to Regent Policy 96-2
to permit an additional personal holiday in recognition of Veteran's
Day. Finally, the Committee supported the granting of the general wage
increases to university senior executives.
The UW System President accepts the recommendations of the Fringe
Benefits Advisory Committee and the Compensation Advisory Committee to
achieve a parity pay plan for university unclassified staff consistent
with Regent Resolution 8745.
RELATED REGENT POLICIES
Regent Policy 94-4 and 96-2
Regent Resolution 8745
AMENDED
Parity Pay Plan Request
BUSINESS AND FINANCE COMMITTEE
Resolution:
Whereas, in accordance with s. 230.12(3)(e) Wis. Stats., a 2003-05 plan
for university unclassified faculty and staff compensation and benefits
adjustments has been approved by the Legislature's Joint Committee on
Employment Relations; and,
Whereas, any modification to that approved pay plan must be adopted
through the process outlined in s. 230.12(3)(e) Wis. Stats.; and,
Whereas, the Board of Regents adopted by resolution a 2003-05 pay plan
request for faculty, academic staff, and university senior executives
that despite identifying a need for a 4% pay increase each year of the
biennium, recognized the financial difficulties of the State and UW
System and requested compensation adjustments "up to" the needed
amounts "to the full extent of funds available in the compensation
reserve"; and,
Whereas, the 1% pay plan approved for faculty and academic staff in
2004-05 is now known to be less than the full extent of funds
available; and,
Whereas, the Board of Regents adopted by resolution a 2003-05 request
that "UW System faculty, academic staff, and university senior
executives be asked to contribute to state group health insurance at
the same levels that will be applied to all other state employees";
and,
Whereas, it is now known that health insurance premium contributions
made by university unclassified staff are higher than the contribution
rates applied to other state employees; and,
Whereas, the Board of Regents endorses state group health insurance for
domestic partners of all state employees, funded from the compensation
reserve in the same way as for all other state employees; and,
Whereas, the Board of Regents endorses the State of Wisconsin's
recognition of Veteran's Day by adding a personal holiday to the paid
leave credits granted to other state employees.
Now, therefore;
Upon the recommendation of the UW System President, and pursuant to s.
230.12(3)(e) Wis. Stats., the Board of Regents directs the UW System
President to notify the Governor and the Legislature that the UW System
seeks to obtain a 2003-05 compensation and benefits adjustments plan
for faculty, academic staff, non-represented graduate assistants, and
university senior executives that is in substantial parity with other
state employee groups. The Board directs the UW System President to
transmit to the Director of the Office of State Employment Relations,
a
request that the Director recommend to the Joint Committee on
Employment Relations a university unclassified pay plan modification to
obtain a general salary increase (1.35%) for faculty, academic staff,
and university senior executives that is equivalent to the 1% plus
$0.10 per hour general wage adjustment approved for other state
employees in 2004-05, that allows full-time faculty and academic staff
to receive a lump sum payment of $250 and non-represented graduate
assistants to receive a $125 lump sum payment, that allows academic
staff salary ranges to be increased by up to 1.35% and that increases
university senior executive salary group ranges 1 and 2 to competitive
levels, and that allows faculty, academic staff, non-represented
graduate assistants and university senior executives to contribute to
state group health insurance at the same premium levels charged to
other state employees.
Further, the Board of Regents requests the State of Wisconsin provide
funding for state that group health insurance premiums for UW System
faculty and academic staff domestic partners of University of Wisconsin
System employees be funded from the compensation reserve on the same
basis way as for all other state employees.
Further, the Board of Regents amends Regent Policy 96-2 to provide
full-time faculty, academic staff, and limited appointees with 3 and ½
days of paid leave each fiscal year and one additional day of paid
leave each fiscal year in recognition of Veteran's Day as non
cumulative personal holidays to be scheduled and taken as determined by
the institution and to provide less than full-time unclassified staff
a
prorated share of all personal holidays based on the percent of
appointment.
04/02/04 I.2.e.
Amendments to Regent Policy 96-2
96-2 ESTABLISHMENT OF HALF-DAY LEGAL PERSONAL HOLIDAYS FOR FACULTY,
ACADEMIC STAFF AND LIMITED APPOINTEES
History: Res 7178 adopted 4/12/96, amended by Res. 7803 adopted 11/6/98
That, upon the recommendation of the President of the University of
Wisconsin System, faculty, academic staff and limited appointees be
granted 3 ½ days of paid leave and one additional day of paid leave
in
recognition of Veteran's Day each fiscal year as a non-cumulative
personal holidays to be scheduled and taken as determined by the
institution. Unclassified staff with less than a full time appointment
shall receive a prorated share of these personal holidays based on the
percent of appointment.
B. Benefit changes/improvements action plan -
Jezwinski/Steffenhagen
Wording change of 5 yrs to 3 yrs for reinstatement of benefits: UW
System is afraid to open UW-System rules because of the fear of
legislature review. UW System legal will look into making it a
"technical change".
Sick Leave disparity:
Income continuation insurance disparity:
Increase vacation time after X number of years:
Others:
Marcia Jezwinski will summarize what we have to date and report at the
next meeting.
VII. New Business
A. Benefits review for part-time or less than 12 month
appointments
Brown Bag - April 19th
************************************************************************
*******************************************
http://www.bussvc.wisc.edu/ecbs/emp-gen-bens-menu.html
Once you are on this website, you can go specifically to the following
PDF files that were handed out at the workshop:
o Benefits Summary
? Classified; Faculty, Academic Staff
? and Limited Employees (PDF)
? Graduate, Employees-in-Training, etc. (PDF)
Benefits pertaining to short-term academic staff (the targeted audience
at this week's workshop) are in the "Graduate..." PDF file.**
Short-
term is specifically mentioned and defined in the file.** Academic
staff who are not short-term fall under the "Classified..."
PDF file.*
In addition, the above website has the complete benefits book for
short-term academic staff (under "graduate, employees...")*
************************************
Additional handouts at the session were:
1.)* To register for benefit education sessions or to make an
appointment with a benefits counselor:
http://www.bussvc.wisc.edu/ecbs/ecbs.html
2.)* Spouse and Domestic Partner Benefits (PDF file):
http://www.bussvc.wisc.edu/ecbs/bng-domestic-partner-benefits-uw1107.pdf
3.)* Life Insurance Comparisons:
http://www.bussvc.wisc.edu/ecbs/sgl-life-insurance-comparison-chart-
uw1261.html
****************************
The general ECBS website is quite excellent, with links to many more
handouts and resources:
http://www.bussvc.wisc.edu/ecbs/ecbs.html
B. Committee on Women 2002-2003 annual report regarding academic
staff salary information - Gall
Move to next meeting.
VIII. Adjournment
1:58 pm
Respectfully submitted,
_______________________________________________________
H. Adam Steinberg Designer, Artist, Scientist hsteinbe@wisc.edu